Forests of the Heart (Newford)

Rating:
Summary: A good enough story, but...
Review: While I enjoyed Forests of the Heart, I also found it to be the least satisfying of the six or seven De Lint novels that I've read to this point. As always, the ensemble cast is strong, with characters that make you either care for or despise them. But things get a little slow around page 90, and drag for another 50 pages or so. I feel that De Lint can sometimes put just a little too much gratuitous dialogue into some of his tales, and this stretch particularly suffers in that manner. The initial conflict between Donal and Miki seems somewhat contrived, not exactly coming out of nowhere, and yet leaving me wondering what's going on, until it's gradually explained in the narrative. Still, the overall premise is intriguing, and it's a good read, especially when you get past page 140 or so.